A decade of summer shows B1 •
Memorial Day travel • C1
MAY 26, 2012
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Airport targets service CAMPSITE LIMITS SLASHED to LAX
TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS With 2 on state higher ed board, the region’s profile rises
Area high schoolers aim for state titles • D1
DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST
• Maximum stay in one spot is now 2 consecutive weeks, down from 30 days
• With Allegiant leaving, Redmond cuts budget, looks for growth options
By Patrick Cliff The Bulletin
Jim Middleton, president of Central Oregon Community College, became the second Central Oregonian on the State Board of Higher Education when he was confirmed to the position this week. Kirk Schueler, Middleton also of Bend, is already a board member. While there have Schueler been others from Central Oregon on the board, the Oregon University System believes this will be the first time two people from the region have served together. When Middleton takes his seat this summer for a fouryear term, local residents will make up one-sixth of the 12-member board. Middleton’s appointment by the governor comes as the region faces a pivotal moment in its pursuit of higher education. Oregon State University-Cascades Campus recently bought a building for its graduate programs and has designs to expand into a four-year university over the next decade. “I think it’s fabulous, I think it is really great for Central Oregon,” said OSU-Cascades Vice President Becky Johnson. “It’s a time when that representation can make a difference.” Early next month, the board is expected to vote on funding a list of higher education capital projects. The first stage of OSU-Cascades’ expansion is on that list. See Education / A6
By Erik Hidle The Bulletin
Pete Erickson / The Bulletin
Forest Service Ranger John Bracco, from left, talks with Andrew Banks, Greg Banks and Paul Lusk about the Deschutes National Forest’s new length-of-stay limits at the Big River campground south of Sunriver on Monday.
By Dylan J. Darling • The Bulletin
W
hen Paul Lusk picked his campsite at Big River Campground south of Bend a couple of weeks ago, he did so with trout in mind. “I’m here early so I can get a good spot when the fishing starts,” he said last week.
But a U.S. Forest Service change to rules about how long campers can stay on the Des-
chutes National Forest means he won’t be around to cast into the Deschutes River near the campground when stream trout season starts today. The forest used to allow campers to stay at one site for 30 days in a row, said Jean NelsonDean, spokeswoman for the Deschutes National Forest. Now campers are allowed to stay for 14 days in a row. “By having this 14-day limit it allows more people access to some of the premier spots,” Nelson-Dean said. It also brings the Deschutes staylimit rules into line with other national forests around the Northwest, she said. Oregon also limits campers to 14day stays at state parks, said Chris
Havel, spokesman for Oregon State Parks. He said the state’s limit has been in force for about 15 years. It is meant to give campsites a break. “It was pretty hard on the campgrounds to have a single (party) staying at a campsite for a long time,” he said. Nelson-Dean said the new rule is
also intended to stop “resource damage” caused by campers staying at a site for a month. The campsite damage argument is a weak one, Lusk said. “I’ve seen more things wrong with people being here overnight than people being here long-term,” he said. See Campsite / A6
Center of gravity in oil world shifts to Americas By Juan Forero The Washington Post
LOMA LA LATA, Argentina — In a desert-like stretch of scrub grass and red buttes, oil companies are punching holes in the ground in search of what might be one of the biggest recent discoveries in the Americas: enough gas and oil to make a country known for beef and the tango an im-
Facing the loss of significant revenues once Allegiant leaves this summer, the Redmond municipal airport will rely on its efforts to gain flights to Los Angeles International Airport and other destinations as a way to offset the impact. The city of Redmond plans to cut up to $575,000 from next year’s airport operating budget to adjust for Allegiant’s Aug. 12 departure. But city staffers think the airport remains poised to grow, and picking up a route to Los Angeles is one example of what the city views as a logical next step after making cuts. “Before this happened (with Allegiant), we were looking to expand service,” said City Manager David Brandt. “The one thing this does is reinforce to us that the Redmond airport primarily serves the business traveler. Losing Allegiant, which lends itself more to vacationers, kind of reinforces that.” Brandt said a location in Southern California, which can serve both business and recreational travelers, makes sense as the city attempts to increase ridership at the airport. “Now we are focusing on LA,” Brandt said. See Airport / A6
portant energy player. The environment is challenging, with resources trapped deep in shale rock. But technological breakthroughs coupled with a feverish quest for the next major find are unlocking the door to oil and natural gas riches here and in several other countries in the Americas not traditionally known as energy producers.
That is quickly changing the dynamics of energy geopolitics in a way that had been unforeseen just a few years ago. From Canada to Colombia to Brazil, oil and gas production in the Western hemisphere is booming, with the United States emerging less dependent on supplies from an unstable Middle East. Central to the new
energy equation is the United States itself, which has ramped up production and is now churning out 1.7 million more barrels of oil and other liquid fuel per day than in 2005. “There are new players and drivers in the world,” said Ruben Etcheverry, CEO of Gas and Oil of Neuquen, a state-owned energy firm here. See Oil / A7
BEND CITY COUNCIL
Clinton says he’ll seek a 3rd term By Scott Hammers The Bulletin
Bend City Councilor Jim Clinton announced Friday he intends to seek a third term, describing himself as an independent voice for ordinary citizens. Clinton, 68, was first elected to the council in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. During that time, the retired physicist has Clinton been the most consistent dissenting councilor on the seven-member body, voting against, among other things, the $70 million Bridge Creek water project this year and last year, and the expansion of the Urban Growth Boundary in 2009. With Clinton’s announcement, at least one candidate has expressed intentions to run for each of the four council seats up for election this year. Ron “Rondo” Boozell and Victor Chudowsky have declared for the seat currently held by Tom Greene, who will be running for the Deschutes County Commission this fall. Edward McCoy and Ed Barbeau plan to run for Mayor Jeff Eager’s seat; Eager has chosen not to seek re-election. See Clinton / A6
The Bulletin An Independent Newspaper Vol. 109, No. 147, 74 pages, 7 sections
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INDEX Business Classified Comics Crosswords Dear Abby Editorials
C3-5 F1-6 B4-5 B5, F2 B3 C6
Local News C1-8 Movies B2 Obituaries C7 Sports D1-6 Stocks C4-5 TV B2, ‘TV’ mag
TODAY’S WEATHER
Cloudy, breezy High 64, Low 40 Page C8
Correction In a story headlined “Candidate for Eager’s seat owed $18,000 in back taxes,” which appeared Friday, May 25, on Page A1, Edward McCoy was incorrectly described as the only candidate for the city council seat currently held by Mayor Jeff Eager. Ed Barbeau has also announced his intention to run for the position. The Bulletin regrets the error.
TOP NEWS SPACEX: Private capsule makes history, docks at International Space Station, A3 EGYPT ELECTION: Muslim Brotherhood, military to square off in historic vote, A6